Railway signal torpedo



. 16 l, 5 June 7, 1927. F. BUTCHER 3 8 7 RAILWAY 'SIGNAL TORPEDO med Sept. 22. 1925 Patented June 7, 192.7.

warren STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK BUTCHER, OF VERSAILLES, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR- 'IO STANDARD BAIL- WAY FUSEE CORPORATION, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

RAILWAY SIGNAL TORPEDO.

Applieation'filed September 22, 1925.

My invention relates to certain improyemerits in torpedoes, of the type in which the tablet is wrapped within an enclosing sheet of paper, and secured to the means by which the torpedo is attached to a railway rail.

The object of my invention is to so wrap a tablet that the seams of the paper-enclosure will be completely covered, so that when water-proofing cement applied, the tablet will be completely protected from moisture.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved railway track torpedo;

Fig. 2 is a view showing the sheet of wrapping paper with the tablet in position to be wrapped Fig. 3 'is a view showing the torpedo wrapped, with the sheet of paper, covering the entire upper surface, without seams;

F in. lis an inverted perspective view of the partly-formed torpedo illustrated in Fig. 3, showing the seam on the underside;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view, showing the reinforcing strip of paper placed in position to be folded;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view, showing the reinforcing strip folded under the wrapper; and

Fig. 7 is an inverted perspective view, showing the folds of the reinforcing strip secured in position. i

The explosive tablet 1 is preferably formed as shown in Fig. 2. The wrapper 2 is preferably made of a sheet of paper in which asphaltum or other waterproofing material, is rolled between two plies of the paper, making the sheet water-proof. This paper is folded over the tablet, as indicated bv the dotted lines, the portion 3 of the sheet of paper extending entirely over the upper surface of the tablet, as indicated in Fig. 3, while the end 5 extends under the Serial No. 57,843.

tablet, as shown in Fig. 4, the seam, therefore, being on the underside of the tablet.

A reinforcing strip 7 is preferably secured to the underside of the folded sheet, as indicated in Fig. 5, and the ends 6 of the folded sheet are turned under this reinforcing strip, and preferably secured thereto by cement. Then the ends of this reinforcing strip are folded under the folded portion 6 of the main enclosure, as shown in Fig. 6, and the ends are cemented as shown in Fig. 7; The torpedo is then covered with a waterproofing cement, which closes all openings, so that the tablet is completely protected from moisture.

A retaining strip 8 of pliable metal, when used, is placed in position on the torpedo at the same time that the reinforcing strip is applied, as shown in Fig. 5. The reinforcing strip and ends 6 produce an extra heavy base which will be impossible to tear under ordinary conditions. This gives a substantial support for the torpedo-tablet.

It will be understood that other means of securing the torpedo to the rail may be used in place of the pliableinetal strip, without departing from the essential features of my invention.

I claim:

The combination in a railway signaltorpedo, of an explosive tablet; a rectangular wrapper which is folded over the tablet in such manner that there will be no seam on the upper surface of the torpedo, the seam being located under the torpedo; a reinforc- 

